SO frustrated :(

[lovely330]

hey everyone. i just went to my doctor yesterday and he told me that i need to start following the ic diet ALOT more. oops. i figured that by cutting out all pop, juices, etc. that i would be fine!! i've seen a big improvement just by only drinking water and milk (and sometimes alcohol).

i've been reading a lot of things on here and i do understand that it is very important for me to change the way im eating. well last night i printed off a list of things i should and shouldnt eat and went into my kitchen. i almost started crying because i realized that around 90% of the things in there have ingrediants that i shouldnt be eating. i don't know what to do.

i am SUCH a picky eater. i'm also trying to lose weight (already lost 8 pounds so far!!) i'm currently a college student without a lot of money and i absolutely hate cooking.

i LOVE tomato sauce, salsa, hot sauce, juice, ketchup, bbq, beer/wine, chocolate, fruit, sausage pizza, yogurt, and pasta with extra marinara sauce. basically i only like the things that i am not supposed to have. i've got about a million boxes of stuff in my kitchen that i shouldnt be eating now. what a waste of food. i am SO FRUSTRATED that i am supposed to suddenly give all of these things up. its bad enough that i'm taking a bunch of different medicines and doing dmso...it seems like i am being punished!! i have no clue what i am supposed to be eating now.

anyone have any good ideas for things i can eat that are easy and quick? can i still have some of my old favorites (like pasta but with only a little sauce?) and can i start eating some things again if i try them and they dont bother me? whats the worst that can happen if i keep eating them? i'm never in any pain, i mostly just have problems with freq and urgency.

i'm desperate for help, i don't want all of my favorite foods to be gone forever.

[patricia1]

We are all so different when it comes to our IC. In the beg it all seems so overwhelming. Have you tried using Prelief when you eat or drink something you should not have? That might help some. Also for me with Ketchup I can tolerate a certain type of one, but the others the cheaper ones flare me up bad.

[traceann]

Hey there! Here's something I posted in another thread for ideas on foods to eat, etc. I just copied and pasted to save my fingers, lol. It's just ideas, you can suit them to your own likes and dislikes, your bladders likes and dislikes, your tastes etc. Hope it helps a little bit!

IC Food Ideas
(M) = May be ok, if you can tolerate them

Cooking Methods : pan frying in butter or olive oil or veg oil, grilling on an indoor grill pan, grilling on an outdoor grill.

Frying vehicles : butter, vegetable oil, olive oil

Seasonings: salt, pepper (M), herbs – fresh or dried such as thyme, dill, oregano, sage, marjoram, basil, mint, chives; olive oil (regular and flavored like with garlic or herbs – not spicy!), lemon zest, lime zest, orange zest – just the zests, not the juice! preservative-free garlic powder (if you can do garlic).

Pasta, noodles, rice: Great staples to have around. Very versatile. I have many kinds of rice around, arborio, brown rice, basmati, brown basmati, plain white. I also have a huge supply of noodles and pasta. And when I would cook them for one thing, I also made sure to cook quite a bit extra for it to be morphed in to another meal sometime during the week…really helpful when you aren’t feeling all the great. Lots of times I would combine with the veggies I cooked in the garlic etc and dressed with olive oil, was pretty tasty! Lots of Fettuccine Alfredo made at home too, lol. Hubby loves that also. For extras, I sometimes added some cooked chicken or shrimp to it and some veggies -- or sometimes just veggies! Yummy! I love my pasta, that's for sure - so I tried to get as creative as I could!

Vegetables (fresh/frozen): broccoli, cauliflower, carrots, peas, potatoes, sweet potatoes, asparagus (M), onions (M), corn

Fresh and frozen veggies: The frozen more than the fresh, since it was winter, lol But, broccoli, cauliflower, green beans, corn (M), peas, carrots - were my favorites. I would sometimes cook them as directed with amt of water called for (mostly with the broccoli and cauliflower) and add chopped fresh garlic and salt to the cooking water. Then I would drain it, toss it back in the pan and heat it slightly with some olive oil and herb of choice or just toss with butter, tossing the veggies to coat. My hubby loved them that way! I would make myself glazed carrots from the frozen ones, cook them a bit, then add brown sugar and butter to taste, to get the glaze the way I wanted. You can add any of the other veg and make a medley. Can be tossed with pasta of choice for a great veg/pasta toss - season with extra olive oil and herbs to flavor the pasta. I have also made a large batch of veg medley to have with my chicken breast, steak, or burger patty and then the next night toss it with pasta for a new meal. Many vegetables are great roasted in the oven. Toss them with olive oil, garlic and/or herbs of choice. Roasted carrots are great with dill, roasted asparagus is great tossed with just salt, pepper (if it’s ok for you) and olive oil, roasted cauliflower or broccoli, Brussels sprouts, corn on the cob, use your imagination or your favorite veg.

Sub for tomato: Home-roasted Red Peppers. Just thrown in the broiler, roasted til skins are blackened. Put in a bowl and cover with plastic wrap, let sit 15-20 minutes. The skin will "steam" itself off, and make it really easy to peel. I always had them around. Sometimes would store in olive oil, salt and some fresh chopped garlic. Can use anyway you like. I pureed sometimes in a blender with seasonings to use as a "red sauce" for my homemade pizzas! Yummy!

Potatoes & Sweet Potatoes: Any potatoes really. Regular, the small new red potatoes, yukon gold, etc. I made lots of microwave baked potatoes, just skipped sour cream til I tested it out. My hubby's favorite way for the new potatoes (I like the really small ones) is to halve them and set aside. I melt some butter in a big bowl along with some chopped garlic (if you are ok with it) to taste and salt to taste, cook it for about 45seconds to a minute. Then I toss in the potatoes and cook as my microwave directions indicate. Or, I cube them up, toss with olive oil and salt (pepper if you can tolerate it) and additive-free garlic powder (I get mine from Trader Joes) and even some herbs (dill &/or thyme are especially good) then bake in about a 400-425 degree oven til roasted tender and browned, yummy! I also treat my Sweet potatoes the same way -- cubed and roasted, sometimes with some brown sugar sprinkled on if I want different. Also yummy when and cut and made into oven fries.

Potatoes/Sweet Potatoes II :baked for either (for the white – salt and pepper & butter, unless you can do sour cream; and butter and brown sugar is yummy on the sweet. I have even used pureed cottage cheese in place of sour cream.


Meats : chicken breasts, steaks, preservative-free pork (need to be careful with pork) burger, and plain ground pork from the butcher’s counter at the grocery store. Either grilled or fried. I love my cast iron grill pan, better than the outdoor grill! Meats seasoned with herbs. Sage and thyme are a great combo on a chicken breast pan fried in a little bit of butter.(great with mashed potatoes and homemade gravy – either with home made stock or IC friendly broths/stocks and homemade bread stuffing, again prepped with ingredients that are friendly to you and IC safe broths)

I also prep my meats when I get them home from the store – every chicken breast gets cleaned and trimmed and individually wrapped and frozen. As do steaks. I will also patty up burger and individually wrap them and freeze as well. It makes dinner time much simpler during the week. No matter what the family is having (many times I have cooked two meals, one for me and one for them so they can still eat what they like) I have an individual chicken breast or steak or burger patty I can take out, defrost and cook easily for me.

A great and friendly pork sausage (make sure you know it’s fresh and does not have any unfriendly additives – I eventually found out I was ok with any pork, but in the beginning, I stayed on the safe side) is one made from fresh ground pork, some real maple syrup, fennel, salt and pepper. Pattied up and pan fried.

Many times if I am making spaghetti for the rest of the family, I will heat up some olive oil in a small fry pan, toss in some minced fresh garlic along with some (fresh or dried) basil and toss my pasta with that. Homemade Fettuccine Alfredo made with Kraft Grated Parmesan Cheese (in the green can) is also very friendly – and easy to make too, just not low-cal!!

If we were having burritos – there were two batches made, one for me and one for the rest of the family. I would season my meat with lots of oregano (I mean lots ), onion (I am ok with onion, but some are not, so be careful if you aren’t sure!!) and fresh minced garlic. Then I would wrap my own with an IC friendly tortilla, place it/them in a smaller baking pan separate from the rest and cover them (smother really) with shredded Monterey Jack cheese. Sometimes I would mix my meat mixture with fat-free refried beans (safe ones) and then fill and roll my tortilla.

Lots of breakfast foods : for breakfast, lunch or dinner. French toast is easy and quick and friendly with pure maple syrup. Eggs and toast, another great alternative as is a “breakfast burrito” - scrambled eggs with shredded Monterey Jack cheese melted in with chives (or herb of choice) and rolled in a tortilla. Homemade pancakes (until I discovered I was ok with Bisquick). Eggs scrambled with feta cheese and herb of choice is yummy too. Friendly bagels and cream cheese (brick form, not tub) are a great lunch/breakfast option with some canned pears on the side. Plain oatmeal (not the packet kind, but the round container rolled oats or quick cooking rolled oats) with brown sugar or maple syrup on top. (cinnamon if you can handle it)

Snacks: mozzarella string cheese, cottage cheese, Lay’s plain potato chips, Breyer’s (or any other all natural ice cream) French Vanilla (or other flavors with friendly ingredients like caramel) Kraft caramels, bagels and cream cheese, canned or fresh pears, homemade treats with all safe ingredients like sugar cookies etc.

Lunches: Breakfast foods (see above), bagels with cream cheese (brick not tub), grilled cheese sandwiches made with processed American cheese, dinner leftovers.

Tips/tricks: Out to dinner I would order my salad dressing on the side (ranch seemed the safest) and just dip the tine of my fork into it then stab my lettuce. Gave me flavor with minimal risk to my bladder, also took Prelief as insurance.

I have come to love my Pizza with my sauce on the side or none at all. I order it with just cheese, green pepper and onions (or veg of your choice that you are ok with). I do all right with black olives, as I think most do. And if I get my sauce on the side, I just dip my slice into it for a little flavor and again, minimal risk – plus my Prelief as insurance.

Breads: I have no problem with breads, only I tried to choose ones with the least preservatives etc. I still have to watch out for soy flour too. I love Lender's plain bagels, eat them often for lunch with cream cheese and a sprinkle of garlic powder and dill sometimes!

Dairy: I have no problem with milk (but some do), vanilla ice-cream (favorite is Breyer's French Vanilla -- no preservatives etc), cottage cheese, cream cheese, mozzarella and onterey Jack (that's on the maybe list, I believe, but I have been fine with it from the get-go), feta cheese & ricotta. I made/make my own dip and salad dressing with cottage cheese, any herbs I am in the mood for (usually salt, fresh garlic and dill) and a little milk. I blend it all in the blender to the consistency I want. My hubby loves this better than store-bought!) I also have no problem with American processed cheese singles, Velveeta etc. So grilled cheeses were a mainstay!

Beverages: Lots of water, lol. And some herb teas, look for decaf and watch out for rose hips. My faves are blueberry, peppermint and rooibos (Celestial Seasonings call it "Madagascar Red"). Most of my teas I get are by Celestial Seasonings, as it's readily available to me in my grocery store here in the boondocks, lol. I now have been able to do Kool-Aid, that's one of those test-it-out kinds of things, see if it bothers you personally.

[leelee88]

I am so sorry you are having such a rough time, I think we all go through that at the beginning, But Traceann has some really good ideas.. I always used to eat everything like tomatoe sauces and salsa and pizza.. I really missed it at first, but when I seen how much better my bladder feels without it.. I adjusted fast.. Its just not worth all the burning and pain..

Just try to stay positive.. I know thats hard to do but stressing yourself out will not do your bladder any good.. If you need anything just ask

[ICNDonna]

One good thing is that once you begin to feel better, you can begin adding back some of your favorites. I am allergic to tomatoes so that isn't a temptation for me (I don't want the severe all-over rash I can get from a tiny bit). There are many pasta dishes I can have that don't have tomato. Many of them come as "mixes" so they are quick to fix too.

Hang in there. I know the diet can be a huge pain at first, but believe me when I say that it's well worth the effort.

Warm hugs,
Donna

[Trishann]

You know Donna is so right. You can evenually adding back some of the favorites. And also everyone is different, you might be able to eat something that we can't eat. That is why I call it the trial and error thing.

I'm sorry that you are feeling overwhelming, it is alot to deal with. But you will begin to know what you can eat and what you can't.

Just sending HUGS, Trishann

[GayleK]

Donna, what are the names of the mixes you use? Thanks!

[lovely330]

THANK YOU guys so much for all of your responses and support. i just talked to my mom and shes gonna go to the grocery store with me this week and we're going to work on finding some new food. would a natural food store (trader joes or something) be a good place to start? i'm just going to try to take this one day at a time...

[Sunnydawn]

I do really well with a subway turkey and roastbeef sub. Add lettus, olives, and am. cheese. Add oil and salt and you'll never miss the condiments. I always feel really good after I eat it ,Maybe because of the oil.
Just a "going out" idea. I am a college student also and I know its important to be able to just grab a bite in between classes! also a ice pac ( freeze h2o in a sandwich bag) really helps take the edge off flares.

[siriuspsyclist]

good things all at once

Welcome to a new way of eating that's for sure! And it is a good thing that you're trying to lose weight because often just having some water and a few dates is a better option that eating the acid-making food and paying later. My main symptoms are a pinecone up my urethral pain and bladder agony (when in a flare) so eating the wrong foods immediately has consequences! But once you have worked on the diet for a while you will figure out a system that works for you. But those first six weeks are tough.

For me the most important thing was having a supply of snacks with me all the time so that I could eat them when the urge came and I didn't find myself out, starving and weak and eating bad stuff.

I keep dates in ziploc bags in every pack I carry and make sandwiches when I leave the house. There is no more packaged food, no more chips or snacks like that, no more sauces in jars. It's all homemade now. And that has been a really good change for me. I had sad and bad days where I cried and railed against the unfairness of it all ...
but now
hard to believe
I find sticking with the diet not too hard and as a benefit it is pretty easy to keep from gaining weight eventhough I use a lot of carbs in my diet. and I know that I am eating healthier choices without all that boxed and processed stuff.

I really miss the fruit and coffee and convenience but when I buckle under my own ridiculous desires I pay – that's for sure. I keep reminding myself that I am so lucky to live in the first world where I have the option to be upset about the food choices I have. I have travelled in africa and boy o boy. I may have limited choices but there is ample to eat and I am never really going hungry.

hope you're feeling better today. In the beginning I would roast a large chicken on the weekend and make TONS of gravy and then put that gravy o n everything i ate that week to make it taste good. and I'd boil the carcass in a big pot and make chicken stock which I would use in place of coffee. yumm. blessed be: siriuspsyclist

[mellusk]

One thing I wonder is if you say you are getting better, then why does your doctor want you to be stricter on your diet? Have you just hit a plateau and aren't improving as much anymore?

The good news is that frozen veggies are often cheap, and if you get some frozen blueberries you can use milk or almond milk to make smoothies with them. I can drink the Naked brand Blue Superfood juice, that has blueberries, black berries, and banana puree. I also think it has some apple juice, but that doesn't bother me. Still, that stuff is a tad expensive.
Fresh mozzarella cheese is also usually ok, too, as is feta, cottage cheese, and cream cheese. I also tried the Mexican Chihuahua cheese and did fine with it, and I also hypothesis that the Indian paneer cheese would be a fine substitute for tofu, if a lllliiiittttllllleeee more fattening.

Just don't fall into the starvation trap. Being hungry can make you flare too, and I know anymore I can't even let myself get to the point where my belly starts growling, so like suggested above, eat snacks, even if it's just half a bagle.